Strained Steps
by InvisibleRainX
Summary: I knew something wasn't right - If i'd have acted sooner, maybe i could have stopped it. Maybe, i could have helped prevent this. Now? I don't know what to do. I'm lost, and the one person i need is missing... Between 7x8-7x14. Extreme Whump/Angst. Updates Regularly.Possible Fluff.


**AN/ This is the first fan fiction I've written properly since my Burn Notice fics, back in 2012. I may be back into the swing, but with a new fandom. CASTLE. While, of course I am nowhere near new to the fandom or the series, I am new at writing it. Let me know if you're interested/constructive and positive feedback? and i'll keep writing :).**

**Chapter 1**: Underestimated.

"Espo?" Kate called out to him, as he started towards them, side by side with Ryan. Marching down the halls, with papers and files in hand. Mind on the case, until his eyes flicker up to meet his boss' brown and determined eyes – watching him, with a rather serious, yet concerned glance.

"Yo?" He responds quickly, as he sets the files on his desk and heads over towards her desk.

"Have you heard from Castle?" She asks, clearly she'd not heard from him for some time – she was confused and slightly concerned at this point. His cell would just ring out, no answer. Eventually, fading to voice mail. She'd called over a dozen times by now, and not a single word was heard. She hated it, most specifically when he'd run off chasing leads on a case, against her orders – like a child, he always was.

Esposito shook his head, with a scrunched up nose – Thinking back throughout the day and his last interactions with the writer, "No, I haven't…" He shrugged, with a pout, "He's probably writing or something" He softly replies, not thinking too much into it. Before he scans his eyes over Beckett's features, He can see the shadow of worry cloud over her eyes, "Don't worry about it Beckett, I'm sure he's fine – this is Castle we're talking about" He adds on, for reassurance as he chuckles softly. Sure, he was right to an extent – However, at this moment, Kate couldn't shake the unnerving and unsettling feeling that stitched and wedged its way through her chest, lingering and straining her heart. Something wasn't right…

She eventually shrugs at Esposito's comment – in agreement, "Yeah, you're probably right" She sighs deeply and nods. More to convince herself, rather than him. As she lowers her eyes and stares blankly at the floor. She gives herself a second before looking back up, giving Espo a nod, and small content smile.

It was nothing, this happened all the time; where Castle was concerned. She'd tell herself over and over – a constant reminder with each moment that passed – but the silence and disheartening feeling within her chest, only became thicker. It was infecting her mind, and only pushing the terrifying feeling deeper inside her, flushing through her veins. Something wasn't right…

She avoided asking Alexis, or Martha. She didn't want to alarm them, worry them. It could simply be, as trivial as Esposito claimed; yet, she couldn't flush or drain the agonizing thoughts from her mind, they painted the walls with traumatic images – things that surely, couldn't be possible. The pressure igniting a sheer headache to arise and press against her mind, making the whole situation even worse.

Hours shifted, and passed by. Nothing.

"Have you heard from him yet, Beckett? – I bet he's sleeping on the couch tonight, huh?" Esposito chuckled, but he received nothing but a slow headshake and lost glance from his boss, Her brows furrowed – until she finally looks up from the files on her desk, her eyes narrowed his, "This isn't right, Espo…" She starts, voice low and stammered, "This isn't like him…" She huffed, her voice almost shaking as she finally admitted to herself, something was wrong. It had been roughly 6 hours. She began to find herself laughing, she was being paranoid. Clingy and needy perhaps? She wasn't sure, but when her Husband didn't respond to countless texts and calls, when he'd otherwise reply almost immediately, Kate knew something wasn't right.

Esposito inhaled slowly, his eyes drawing from her lost gaze. He takes a second, as he looks at her desk – "Tracked his cell?" He asks her, eyebrow jerked with a devious glance, as he searched her features. Surely, it wasn't infidelity, she'd be a right moron to ever consider that to be an option when it came to Richard Castle.

Her head instantly shoots up, to look at Esposito – after hanging on for so long, trying to convince herself that it was nothing. She almost beamed at the opportunity that was offered to her, why hadn't she done this already? "Why didn't I think of that?" She smiled softly, shaking her head in defeat as a small chuckle leaves her lips. Turning her attention to her computer monitor, Beckett typed in Castle's number; tracking it down to the location the cellphone was currently being held.

She sits there in pure silence, waiting for the signal to clarify the location, as it finally loads. She pulls herself back from the screen and, turns to Esposito as he leaned over and watched with her; He was downtown, where he'd had a book signing. Was he still at the bookstore that functioned the event? She nor Esposito weren't sure, maybe he got stuck into reading the entire book to the fans? The thought itself was rather hilarious in itself, but it was no reason to ignore every call or text he'd gotten.

"Let's go" Esposito tells her – without even asking, tapping her on the shoulder – he had her back. He wanted to surprise Castle as much as she did, kick his ass if he had to. Of course, he knew that wasn't needed, but in the name of fun?


End file.
